Médecins généralistes à faibles revenus : une préférence pour le loisir ?

This article looks at a remarkable point in the GPs'population : the existence of a large minority of low income physicians. 5 to 7 % of GPs earn less that 1.5 net SMIC (French minimum wage). These GPs are more frequently women or physicians practicing in areas where the medical density is very high but also where the quality of life is better. Using an econometric analysis, we measure their reaction to a demand shock. We find that these GPs never react to a positive demand shock and only react to a negative one : their activity decreases when they are constrained to. We show that their low income results from a greater preference for leisure. Their very low level of activity reflects an advantage of the profession of self-employed physician : GPs may choose to work less.